Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems difficult initially, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an amazing array of wagering options and because you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi-low.